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Tribal Situation in Central India:

Need for Systemic Reforms and Capacity Development
Unaddressed tribal issues
It is well established that the central region of India, despite being resource rich,
inhabits the poorest people who have not benefited from social and economic
development to the same extent as people in other regions have, and in many cases
may have been harmed from displacement that growth entails. From the viewpoint of
policy, it is important to understand that tribal communities are vulnerable not only
because they are poor, assetless and illiterate compared to the general population;
often their distinct vulnerability arises from their inability to negotiate and cope with
the consequences of their forced integration with the mainstream economy, society,
cultural and political system, from which they were historically protected as the result
of their relative isolation. Post-independence, the requirements of planned
development brought with them the spectre of dams, mines, industries and roads on
tribal lands. With these came the concomitant processes of displacement, both literal
and metaphorical as tribal institutions and practices were forced into uneasy
existence with or gave way to market or formal state institutions (most significantly,
in the legal sphere), tribal peoples' found themselves at a profound disadvantage with
respect to the influx of better-equipped outsiders into tribal areas. The repercussions
for the already fragile socio-economic livelihood base of the tribals were devastating
ranging from loss of livelihoods, land alienation on a vast scale, to hereditary
bondage.
What has been the impact of government policies on tribal livelihoods? Where should
be the focus of central and state government to improve the situation. To answer these
questions we quote in detail from a Planning Commission document1:
As tribal people in India perilously, sometimes hopelessly, grapple with
these tragic consequences, the small clutch of bureaucratic programmes have
done little to assist the precipitous pauperisation, exploitation and
disintegration of tribal communities. Tribal people respond occasionally with
anger and assertion, but often also in anomie and despair, because the
following persistent problems have by and large remained unattended to:
Land alienation
Indebtedness
Relation with forests, and government monopoly over MFPs, and nonimplementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006
Ineffective implementation of Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled
Areas) Act of 1996 (PESA, 1996) for Schedule V areas
Involuntary displacement due to development projects and lack of
proper rehabilitation
Shifting Cultivation, such as podu
1

MTA 2000, Mid-term appraisal of the 9th Plan, Planning Commission, New Delhi

Poor utilisation of government funds, and

Poor delivery of government programmes
These issues needing urgent attention are under the jurisdiction of Ministries of
Environment & Forests, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, etc., where often they
do not get adequate attention. The outcomes of policies and programmes pertaining to
the above issues that are critical for tribal livelihoods are not frequently assessed by
the concerned Ministries. There is perhaps a need for capacity enhancement within the
Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MOTA), and its counterparts in the states, which should
evaluate the results of government intervention in tribal regions from time to time,
and use such reports for advocacy with other Ministries, who have been vested with
the responsibility to ensure that basic justice and development reaches them. Such
studies should also assess whether the basic services in education, health, or nutrition
are reaching the tribal hamlets.
Therefore a systemic change is needed in the way state tribal departments function;
their approach must change from simply spending their own budget through narrow
departmental schemes to knowledge based advocacy with other concerned
Ministries/departments. MOTA should also highlight the failure of governance that
deprives the poor tribals from accessing elementary services, and put pressure on the
concerned Ministries and state governments to ensure better policies and delivery in
tribal regions.
Unspent budgetary balances
At the same time, MOTA should make efforts to spend the limited budget allotted to
it. Table below shows the Budget Estimate, Revised Estimate and Actual Plan
Expenditure for the previous years along with the Budget Estimate for 2011-12.
Plan expenditure against budget provision for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (In
crore Rs.)
Year
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14

Budget
Estimates
(BE)
1657
1792
2121
3206
3207
3723
4090
4279

Revised
Estimates (RE)

Expenditure

1653
1720
1970
2000
3206
3723
3100

1647
1524
1806
1997
3136
3540

% age of
expenditure
over BE
99
89
85
62
98
95
76

It may thus be seen that there has been surrender of funds by the Ministry in some
years, especially in 2009-10. Because of inadequate expenditure by MOTA in 200910, there has been little increase in the BE for the Ministry in 2010-11. Non-receipt of
adequate number of complete proposals in accordance with the scheme guidelines
from the State Governments, non receipt of Utilization Certificates and lack of
physical progress by State Governments, non-filling of vacant posts, austerity

measures, non-receipts of bills from the suppliers etc. have been cited by the Ministry
as the reasons for the surrender of funds. MOTA should improve its monitoring
capabilities over timely expenditure of its budget.
Improving governance
Apart from poor utilisation of funds, tribals have also suffered because of the poor
quality of governance. Programme delivery has deteriorated everywhere in India, but
more so in tribal areas, where government servants are reluctant to work, and are
mostly absent from their official duties. Massive vacancies exist in tribal regions in
the face of acute educated unemployment in the country. In a study by Unicef of
Jharkhand it was revealed that one of the main constraints that NRHM in the State
faces is lack of skilled manpower. In the two districts visited, Sahibganj has less than
50% positions in place, while in East Singbhum, with its better infrastructure, it is just
around 54%. Other major reasons as identified during this study for low utilisation
appeared more due to lack of systemic controls, such as lack of monitoring, and lack
of understanding among the staff on implementation of rules.
MOTA should finalise the National Tribal Policy, the draft of which was announced
some six years back with a great deal of fanfare. Law pertaining to involuntary
displacement has been discussed since 1998, but it has still not seen light of the day,
though it is well established that tribals suffer most when new projects lead to
involuntary displacement. MOTA should be empowered in pushing the states to
change their state laws in conformity with PESA. A white paper should be prepared
by the Ministry relating to pathetic condition of governance in forest dependent
villages, including huge vacancies and absenteeism of staff. The Ministry should
develop meaningful partnerships with advocacy organisations that could produce
credible and evidence based reports with a view to put pressure on other Ministries
that ignore tribal interests.
A systemic change is needed
As suggested above State Departments in charge of tribal affairs should play a more
active role in addressing tribal issues by pursuing these with the concerned
Departments/Ministries, where often tribal concerns are neglected. An effective
monitoring mechanism should be set up to bring out the dismal picture of tribal areas
that would put pressure on the sectoral Ministries and the states to improve their
policies and implementation. Government could also set up a Group of Ministers to
review the implementation of suggestions given in this paper.
For instance, MFP policies in the states are often dictated by the desire to maximise
state revenues, and not maximise welfare of gatherers, who are often tribal women.
The revenue interest of Orissa can be judged by the fact that during the period 1989
2001, the State Government earned revenues of Rs 7.52 billion from kendu leaves
(KL). The total wages earned by KL pluckers during the same period was only Rs
3.87 billion. The high incidence of royalties on KL needs to be contrasted with the
royalties collected on a major mineral, where labour is organised, e.g. royalties are Rs
30 per tonne on
n bauxite, but a whopping Rs 12,000/tonne on KL!
Planning Commission should also monitor regularly the impact of existing policies on
the tribal population and engage itself with the concerned sectoral Ministries. In
addition to spending financial budgets Departments should also be conscious of the
impact that policies (or the lack of it) have on the marginalised peoples. Policies and
budgetary provisions, despite the rhetoric, have not been integrated so far. Changes in

policy or laws, are not seen as an integral part of the development process because
these have no direct financial implications. One lesser known reason for this isolation
is that development and planning in India are associated with spending of money.
That Planning means Expenditure, and this will lead to Development is the mindset
behind such beliefs. The Indian planner unfortunately has still to understand the
difference between planning and budgeting. This is where a systemic change is
needed in India. In addition to spending budgets, we need to give equal importance to
non-monetary issues such as institutions, laws, and policies.
NC Saxena
1st March 2011